Chertoff Vote Delayed Over FBI Memo Spat

[seemslikeadream]

By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer

Thursday, February 10, 2005

A Democratic senator is delaying the nomination of Michael Chertoff as Homeland Security secretary to protest the Justice Department's refusal to provide a secret FBI memo on terror suspect interrogations.

Chertoff is still expected to win Senate approval when lawmakers vote on his nomination Tuesday. But Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., warned Thursday that the document denial thwarts congressional oversight.

"We should make the point during this nomination that we're being denied a document that may relate to the nomination itself," said Levin, a member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

The memo _ and the ensuing delay _ is "not necessarily about Chertoff," Levin said. "It may not be, but we may never know."
more
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2005/02/10/national/w131608S25.DTL

[genius]

1. I love Levin. He's great isn't he?

[gratuitous]

2. Wow, a Senator who takes "advise and consent" seriously!

Please, please, please take a lesson, Messrs. Wyden and Smith!

[Al-CIAda]

3. Bernard Kerik, Michael Chertoff... Who's Next? Tony Soprano?

Did Bush's New Homeland Security Nominee Protect Terror-Linked Doctor from Prosecution?
Bernard Kerik, Michael Chertoff... Who's Next?  Tony Soprano?
Daniel Hopsicker
January 12, 2005 - Venice, FL

Michael Chertoff, appointed by President Bush to head the Homeland Security Department, may have shielded from criminal prosecution a former client suspected by law enforcement of having funneled millions of dollars directly to Osama Bin Laden while in charge of the U.S. Government’s 9.11 investigation.

Egyptian-born Dr. Magdy el-Amir, a prominent New Jersey neurologist, was at the center of terrorist intrigue in Jersey City.

-El-Amir gave money to a conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman.

-His brother in Cairo was caught on tape attempting to buy weapons from an American undercover agent for Islamic militant groups.

-Before being arrested in a terrorist deal involving oil and heroin for guns and training, arms smuggler Diaa Mohsen was paid at least $5,000 by one of Dr. el Amir's companies, NBC’s Dateline reported.

And his HMO was suspected by law enforcement of being used to funnel money directly to Osama bin laden.  


Wire Transfers to "Unknown Parties"

Chertoff’s client "caused more than $5.7 million to be paid by wire transfers to unknown parties," said the lawsuit filed shortly before the state took over his failing HMO. News accounts about el-Amir’s legal difficulties contain unanswered questions about undue political influence and its effect on national security.
For example, how did el-Amir, who only the month before had been granted a state license to operate an HMO, finagle a lucrative contract from the state of New Jersey in 1995?

“Why was this doctor allowed to start a health plan?” asked the October 25, 1999 issue of the medical trade journal Medical Economics.

“How could this medical entrepreneur, who had no experience running a managed-care or health insurance company, receive a license for an HMO that now provides care to 44,000 of New Jersey's most vulnerable citizens?" asked The Bergen Record. “Moreover, how could the state pay such a novice $ 6 million a month in taxpayers money to take on such a responsibility?”

Why did Michael Chertoff even take the case? 

Skimming for Osama in New Jersey

Con't LINK-
http://www.madcowprod.com/01122004.html

[kainah]

4. the request Susan Collins said she'd take "under advisement"

During the hearing, Levin asked for this memo and Chertoff said that, since he was a sitting federal judge, he couldn't ask for something like that to be released. (Which may be true.) Then Susan Collins said she'd take the request 'under advisement' which seemed like an incredibly weaselly thing to say.......

[Supersedeas]

5. of course this Admin will deny access if it directly relates to nomination

Hell, Republicans don't want to know any of the information that directly relates to a Bush nominee.

Keep it Superficial, keep it simple, keep it rubber-Stampable.

[GetTheRightVote]

6. He is on Cspan now on Defense/Budget hearing, sounds good to me too

:kick:

[struggle4progress]

7. What? They say the memo is protected by the Privacy Act?

Huh? Instead of plotting war crimes, they were engaged in some consensual whips and chains?